The Fiery Ring

by Gilbert, Morris

  “Sure will, Miss Joy.”

  It sounded strange to call female elephants “bulls,” but that was the way of the circus. Slim said, “Well, it’s home sweet home, ain’t it?”

  Joy turned and stared at the gangly individual. “What do you mean ‘home sweet home’?”

  Surprise swept across Slim’s homely face. “Oh, I guess you wouldn’t know, since we worked right through the winter last year. That’s what we call the last show of the season—home sweet home.”

  “I guess I’m still learning the circus lingo after all this time.” Joy made her way through the milling crowd, avoiding the animals being herded back to the menagerie. There was a great hubbub of voices and laughter, and she wished she could join in, but the best she could do was to put an artificial smile on her face as people greeted her.

  Pete Delaney suddenly stepped in front of her, causing her to stop abruptly. He had a harried look on his face, even more so than usual. “As you know, Joy, we’re gonna break up in the morning and go to Sarasota for winter quarters. We’re short a driver for one of the trucks, so I want you and Travis to drive it back.”

  “All right, Pete.”

  As she left the hubbub of activity and made her way to the trailer, Joy tried to put her uncertainties out of her mind. All she wanted at the moment was to be alone.

  When she entered the trailer, she took off her costume and took a shower. After drying off and changing into her pajamas and robe, she pulled out her journal and began to write.

  Well, it’s all over until next spring. I’ve just found out that the last show of the season is called “home sweet home.” We’ll be tearing down in the morning and going to Sarasota, Florida. I’ve never been there, but they say it’s a nice place to spend the winter.

  Travis and I will be driving a truck through, Pete has just told me, but it won’t be long before Travis is going to Bible school. He’s going to a place in Chicago called Moody Bible Institute. I’m glad for him. He’s so happy and so anxious to get started on his training.

  She paused for a moment and listened to the noise that filtered through the trailer. There was a celebration going on, and she expected there would be quite a bit of liquor flowing. By now she was used to the fact that quite a few of the circus people were hard drinkers. The thought of drinking made her think of Chase, and a frown creased her brow as she began to write again:

  Chase is spending too much time with Stella. Ever since he came back and took over the big cat act, they have had their heads together. I know sometimes she just wants to talk to him about his plans for next year and about the business of buying new animals, but she never misses a chance to touch him. I’m afraid he’s going to make a fool of himself over her.

  Writing this down depressed Joy, and she took the pen and held it up before her eyes, remembering how thrilled she had been when Chase had given it to her for her seventeenth birthday. She noted also the silver ring with the turquoise setting that he had given her on her last birthday. She treasured both of them.

  Her thoughts returned to Stella’s behavior with Chase. It was obvious to everyone that she was trying to get him back. Why couldn’t Chase see it?

  A loud burst of laughter somewhere near her trailer caught her attention, and she listened, but then wondered why she had deliberately chosen not to go to the celebration. She had learned to love her circus family, even those who had some pretty glaring faults. As she thought about the shortcomings of some of her friends, her mind wandered to the Tatums. She stirred uneasily as she tried to shove them out of her mind. Finally she picked up the pen and wrote, pressing down with unnecessary hardness:

  I can’t forget what Albert Tatum did to Travis and me. I had hoped to put the furniture that belonged to Mom and Dad in my home someday, and now they’ve taken it. And they put all of Mom and Dad’s other stuff in the attic, and the mice are going to get at it. Travis tells me I ought not to have hard feelings toward them, but I can’t help it.

  Joy lifted her head as an idea came to her. She impulsively threw off her robe, changed into a dress, and left the trailer. She went to find Pete and discovered that he had gone back to his own trailer. When she reached it and knocked on the door, he opened it and looked at her with surprise. “What are you doing here, Joy? I thought you’d be celebrating.”

  “I’ve got a favor to ask, Pete.”

  “Well, you don’t ask many. What is it?”

  “You know how we’ll be driving that trailer down south to Sarasota?”

  “Yeah, what about it?”

  “We’re not too far from my old home, Pete. Would it be all right if Travis and I took the truck and went there first before we go to Florida? I’d like to get some of our things. I’m afraid they’ll get lost if we don’t.”

  “Sure, if you’ll pay for the extra gas.”

  “Thanks, Pete, we’ll take care of that.”

  Joy whirled and half ran away from the Delaneys’ trailer. She had no trouble finding Travis, who was with a group of the web-sitters, the men who held down the ropes as the performers did their acts.

  “Travis, come here. I have to tell you something.”

  “Sure, sis.” Travis followed Joy with a surprised look as she tugged on his arm. She took him away from the crowds, then turned and faced him squarely. “Did Pete say anything to you about driving one of the trucks back through to Sarasota?”

  “He just told me about it. He said the two of us could go together. That’ll be good. We’ll have some time together that way.”

  “I just talked to Pete,” Joy said quickly. “I asked him if we could use the truck to go back to our old home first and pick up some things, and he said we could.”

  “You mean go back to Uncle Albert’s?”

  “Yes. They’ve got things that belong to us, Travis.”

  “They’re not going to give up that furniture, sis. You might as well make up your mind to that.”

  “It’s our furniture, not theirs!”

  “Well, you know how he is. I don’t think it’s a good idea.” As a matter of fact, Travis had been disturbed about Joy. He had discovered the streak of bitterness that lay not deep beneath the surface concerning the Tatums, and he had tried to gently dislodge some of it. But she had been adamant, and now as he stood there hesitantly, he said, “Well, I think it’s a bad idea, but they’d probably let us get the things out of the attic, I guess.”

  “Good,” Joy said. “We’ll leave first thing after tearing down in the morning.”

  ****

  The truck was old but ran passably well as Travis and Joy pulled out of Omaha. The weather was cold, for it was now the beginning of winter, and once, as they ambled across Nebraska, Travis grinned at her. “I’m sure glad we won’t have to stay here long. I had enough of these cold winters up here. It’ll be great to be in Florida again.”

  Joy was enjoying the trip. She put her problems with the circus out of her mind and turned to smile at her brother. “Me too,” she said.

  Traveling across Nebraska gave Joy an idea. “Let’s stop and see Sister Hannah, Travis. It’s not that far out of the way.”

  “Say, I’d like to meet that lady. From all you’ve told me about her, I think she and I would get along.”

  As they pulled into Arnold, Nebraska, Joy pointed excitedly. “Look, that old caboose is still there, the one where Chase and I stayed for a couple of nights. Turn here,” she said, directing him to Sister Hannah’s house. The truck stopped, and Joy scrambled out eagerly, with Travis following close behind. As they approached the house a large German shepherd started barking, and Travis said, “I hope he doesn’t bite.”

  “Come here, Jake. Good boy.”

  The big shepherd, hearing his name, quieted down and came forward, wagging his tail, to get a pat on his head. “Chase tamed him. He was as wild as a tiger,” Joy said. “I hope Sister Hannah’s at home.”

  No sooner had she said it than the door swung open and a voice sang out, “Well, I never! Look what t
he wind blowed in. Come on in out of the weather.”

  “That’s Sister Hannah,” Joy said. “Come on, Travis.”

  She led Travis to the house, and Joy found herself enveloped in the big woman’s arms. “Well, look at you, now! Done growed up and everything. And who’s this with you? I thought it was Chase at first.”

  “No, this is my brother, Travis. Travis, this is Sister Hannah Smith.”

  Travis had pulled his hat off and smiled and put his hand out. “I’m proud to meet you, Sister Smith. I’ve wanted to thank you for everything you did for my sister and for Chase.”

  “Oh, don’t mention it! Come on in. I’ll bet you two could eat a little bit, couldn’t you?”

  “We sure could,” Joy said. “I’ve thought about your cookin’ ever since we left.”

  “Well, come on in. It won’t take long to whip up a bite.”

  ****

  Sister Hannah’s “bite” turned out to be a meal fit for royalty—pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans, pickled beets, fresh baked bread, and an apple pie. Hospitality was Hannah’s middle name, and she was always ready to serve unexpected visitors. Travis leaned back and patted his stomach as he surveyed the remnants. “I can’t eat another bite, Sister Hannah. I’ve never had a better meal.”

  Sister Smith peered at him with alert eyes. “So you’re gonna be a preacher, Joy tells me.”

  “That’s right. Don’t guess I’ll be as good a preacher as you, from what Joy says.”

  “I reckon you will be. I feel the Spirit of God in you, young man. Now”—she leaned back and took a sip of the sassafras tea she had chosen over the coffee that the other two drank—“you tell me everything you’ve done. Letters are nice, but there ain’t nothin’ like a real live conversation.”

  Sister Hannah listened eagerly as Joy spoke of what had happened since they’d left. She knew much of it, for Chase wrote to her regularly and kept her posted. She interrupted once in a while to exclaim, “Well, landsakes alive, I’d love to see you on top of that elephant—or in that cage with that tiger!”

  “I love the circus,” Joy said, “but that’s enough about me. Tell me all about yourself, Sister Hannah.”

  “Oh, there ain’t nothin’ to tell. I keep preachin’ the Word. What are you two doing way up here in the middle of winter almost?”

  “We have to take this truck back to Florida for the winter. Chase is going to train a lot of new lions and tigers, and I’ve got to help him. But right now Travis and I are on our way to our old home.”

  “Oh, you’re gonna see your people?”

  “No, we’re not!” A frown leaped across Joy’s features. “We’re going back to get what’s ours.”

  “How’s that?” Sister Smith asked carefully, glancing over at Travis. She saw something in his expression that warned her of family problems, and she listened as Joy explained angrily how her uncle had robbed the two of them of their inheritance and how determined she was to get some of their things.

  This was the first time Joy had ever shared all of this with Sister Hannah, and the older woman said little, just quietly listened while Joy let it all spill out. When Joy was finished, Hannah said simply, “Well, it’s a shame when families have trouble. Let’s wash these here dishes, and young man, you go out there and chop some wood.”

  The two women began to clear the table while Travis went out back, and as soon as they heard the sound of the splitting maul hitting the white oak, Sister Hannah said, “I’m a mite worried about you.”

  “Why, I’m fine, Sister Hannah.”

  “No, you ain’t. You got hard, hard feelin’s agin that uncle of yours and his young’uns. I know they done you wrong, but bitterness will kill you dead.”

  Joy’s face flushed, for she knew that with her usual discernment, Sister Hannah Smith had seen right into the heart of what she had been feeling. “I can’t help it, Sister,” she said, her lips drawn in a tight line. “They stole my father and mother’s place, and they made slaves out of us. Travis wouldn’t have been in jail if it hadn’t been for them. I’m going to get back at them—you see if I don’t!”

  A sorrowful expression crossed Hannah’s face, and she fell silent. She tried to think of something to say, but she had seen far too many people looking for revenge. She knew that bitterness would not kill someone as quick as a bullet, but it could be far more painful. She had seen so many lives wrecked by those who were unwilling to give up their hard feelings. Now she said simply, “I’ll be prayin’ for you, Joy. There ain’t no happiness for you until you let the Lord Jesus get this thing out of your heart.”

  ****

  “It looks about the same,” Travis said mildly as he pulled the truck up in front of the two-story farmhouse. “They’ll be pretty shocked to see us, I guess.”

  Joy’s face was set. Usually she had a pleasant smile, but now anger flickered in her eyes. “They should be! If I had my way, we’d have the sheriff here to arrest them!”

  “Ah, come on, Joy, let’s just be nice and get the things out of the attic.”

  “I’m going to take some of the furniture too. We’ve got room for that!”

  Joy got out and slammed the door of the truck with unnecessary force, and Travis followed. He was worried about this visit and had prayed much, but his prayers had not seemed to affect Joy. As the two mounted the porch, he said again, “Remember, if you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive.”

  Joy did not answer. Her face was pale and not just with cold. She rapped violently on the door with her knuckles, and when it opened she saw her aunt. “Hello, Aunt Opal,” she said coldly.

  Opal Tatum blinked with surprise, and her hand flew up to her mouth. “Oh, my stars, it’s you, Joy—and Travis!” She stepped forward and put her arms around Joy. The young woman endured the embrace but said nothing. Travis, however, put his arms around Opal and hugged her, saying warmly, “It’s good to see you, Aunt Opal.”

  “Come in out of the cold. Where did you two come from?” She looked at the truck that had the name of the circus emblazoned across it and said, “Are you in that thing?”

  “Yes, we are. Is Albert here?” Joy asked.

  Opal couldn’t miss the coldness in Joy’s tone. She gave Travis a look, and he only shook his head slightly. Not knowing how to interpret this, Opal said, “He’s in the living room with the kids. Come on in.”

  Joy had looked forward to this moment of confrontation with Albert Tatum for a year and a half, and when she stepped into the living room, it gave her a fleeting pleasure to see shock run across his face. He leaped to his feet but was speechless. Olean and Witt were there also, and Olean cried out, “What are you two doing here?”

  Albert seemed to have been freed from the silence that gripped him. “Well, you’ve come back,” he said. “I’m surprised you had the nerve after runnin’ away the way you did.”

  “I’m surprised you have the nerve to even speak to me, Albert Tatum, after the way you treated us!”

  “Treated you! You’re the one that run off!”

  “What are you doing here?” Witt demanded. But then he seemed to remember how Travis had once soundly thrashed him, and he changed his tone of voice and said nervously, “We don’t want any trouble, Travis.”

  “Of course not,” Travis said. He strolled forward and put his hand out to Albert. “I’m glad to see you again, Uncle.”

  Albert Tatum flinched as if he expected a blow. He took the hand and then glanced across at Opal, who had come to stand beside him. Travis shook hands with Witt and said, “You’re all looking pretty well. I’m glad to see it.”

  Somewhat relieved by Travis’s attitude, Albert said, “Well, I didn’t expect to see you two.”

  “I don’t expect you did,” Joy said, “and you won’t see us long. We’ve just come to get what’s ours.”

  Albert Tatum’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean what’s yours? There’s nothin’ here that’s yours.”

  “Yes there is,” Joy said. “All
this antique furniture is ours. It belonged to our parents.”

  “You’re not getting any of this furniture,” Olean hissed. “It’s ours now. You ran away and left it.”

  “I ran away to keep Witt’s hands off of me and nearly got killed doing it.” She turned to face Albert and said, “We’re taking everything that’s in the attic, and we’re taking what furniture we can haul too.”

  Albert shouted, his face red, “You’re not taking anything! Get out of this house!”

  Joy’s eyes blazed. Travis had never seen her like this. She took a step as if to attack Albert, and he quickly reached forward and caught her arm. “Hold it, sis.”

  “You’d better hold it!” Tatum yelled. “I’ll have the law on you if you try to take one thing! Now get out of here, and don’t you ever come back!”

  “Look, Uncle Albert, never mind the furniture, but we—”

  “Don’t beg, Travis!” Joy shouted. She stood there, her back straight, anger in every line of her face. “You won’t even give us our folks’ things in the attic?”

  “I’ll give you nothin’! Now get out of here!”

  Joy stared at him and for a moment Travis felt her body tense. Then she said in a voice as cold as polar ice, “All right, we’ll leave, but one day I’m going to find out what happened to the money that came out of the sale of our farm. And one day I’m going to have every stick of this furniture. And one day I’ll see you put in jail for the thief that you are! Come on, Travis.”

  Travis shook his head, knowing it was no use to say any more. He followed Joy outside, and when the two were in the truck, he started the engine. He pulled away and looked back to see Albert standing on the porch, shaking his fist at them. His wife was trying to speak to him, but he simply shoved her back. Travis shook his head. “That’s one unhappy man,” he said. “I feel sorry for his wife.”

  Joy did not say a word for the next hour. She sat bolt upright in the truck, her face pale, until finally she turned to Travis and said bitterly, “He’ll be sorry one day, Travis. You’ll see. I’ll make him sorry.”